Romney, a famous and very successful American CEO, refused a bonus of $100,000, saying that no executive needed to make more than $225,000, his salary at the time. Oh - that was George Romney in 1960, whose son Mitt was 13 at the time and who one might have hoped was listening. But, it seems that Mitt either didn’t hear his father, or disagrees with him.
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I finally saw “Moneyball” last week. I was thoroughly engrossed in this movie based on the true story of Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland A's. Beane’s goal was to reinvent his baseball team on a tight budget and turn it into a playoff ready team. In doing so, he realized that baseball's conventional wisdom is wrong and he will have to outsmart the richer clubs. Like “Moneyball,” we find ourselves at a crossroads here in America, do we keep on doing what we’ve always done and keep on getting what we’ve always got? Or do find a way to reinvent or reinvigorate politics so as to get something done at a lower cost of money and drama to America?
What’s wrong with government and politics in America? The House of Representatives passed a Republican plan that would extend the payroll tax cut and speed the process for government approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline. What’s the point? Even if this plan makes it through the Senate, President Obama has already said that he would veto it. There is no correlation between the payroll tax cut extension and the oil pipeline. This is just another political ploy to play the ratings game and twist each side’s words to make it look like both the Democrats and Republicans don’t support America’s workers.
Men make more money than women and white Wall Street men make the most. A recent article in the Atlantic Wire reports that “white males working in finance make significantly more money than those who aren't white or aren't male.” Does this suggest gender and/or racial discrimination? Or is it simply a case of numbers?
Another Thanksgiving is upon us and I have a lot to be thankful for. Maybe it’s because I am now in my 40’s, but it sure seems this year has flown by. Unfortunately we have a flock of GOP candidates that do not seem to fly – not up or away. This group of turkeys makes me sometimes feel like an ostrich wanting to bury my head in the sand.
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What will you be doing this Veterans Day? Honoring our veterans at local events, visiting military cemeteries, spending time with family or friends who have served or are serving in the armed forces? Or will you be spending your day sleeping in, shopping, or at a movie? It seems that Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day have all become holidays to honor the almighty dollar. Sales, sales, sales. Even Thanksgiving has become a day to prepare for Black Friday. Between the power of media advertising and businesses trying to capitalize on more available shoppers the reason for most of our holidays is lost in making or saving money.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I like a good sale. I actually enjoy Black Friday. But, when attending my children’s school for their Veterans Day assembly I realized that the celebration of many of these holidays happens before the holiday itself as our children learn about them in school. I am grateful that our educators take the time to discuss and celebrate some important moments in our country’s history. They cover holiday topics like freedom, civil rights, the founding of our nation, honoring those who have served our country, and economic and social contributions of workers. They also tiptoe around as they try to cover the religious significance of other US Holidays without offending the cultural variety of today’s classroom.
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Mitt Romney's jobs speech was one of the most inauthentic and politically dishonest efforts to mischaracterize Obama's so far during the primary race. Romney's infamous chart showed the period of 2007-2009, the so-called "Great Recession", under the auspice of "Obama's Recovery" (two years of which were before he even took office.) Furthermore, Romney characterizes Obama's administration as racking up more federal debt ($6.7 trillion) that in the previous 200+ years of presidential administrations combined. Of course, Romney's assertions, which were parroted by the other GOP contenders during last night's debate, are flagrantly misleading. Here's why. Read more about GOP Characterization Of Obama's Administration Approaching Outright Lies
Philip Zimbardo gave a TED talk in 2011 called "The Demise of Guys", and it pointed out, very clearly and succinctly, the downward trajectory of males culturally, socially, and I would say that soon we'll see it in politics as well. Successful social trends and movements are hard to put a finger on until they've translated to real impacts in every aspect of that society. For instance, the civil rights movement of the 1960's has taken up to fifty years to truly be seen as a "successful" social movement. We undeniably have a long ways to go. However, we have greater earning, mobility, and opportunity for minority groups than we ever have in history (despite what many people say about the present state of race relations and minority opportunities). My point here is this, we're seeing the socio-cultural demise of males, and in another 50 years politics may look much different. Read more about "The Demise of Guys" Highlights the Disconnect of Male Psychology to Modern Reality
Watching the news in the last ten years has been like watching the "best of" reel from the End of Days; rioting, environmental catastrophe, political and economic instability, war, famine, disease. Read more about The Most Pivotal Time in American History: Maybe Not So Pivotal?
